Mallory's braces
by SCKX
Summary: a kinda corny summary:Mallory's dreading getting braces(I did too!).but she knows it must be done. Find out about the pains and joys(not quite joys) of getting braces in this story....pls R/R!!!
1. First visit to the dentist

Hey, I have only read until book #20, and am already a fan. I'm not sure if they described Mallory's ordeal in the dentist's office when she got braces, but I'm sure it wasn't very detailed. I getting braces this Friday (30th May, in S'pore), so I thought it might be fun to describe my ordeal, in my POV, yet using a BSC member's name.Poor Mallory.;)  
  
"The extractions will need to be done next week, and the week after that also, Mallory. I'll have to pull out two teeth at a time. Can I see you next Tuesday at four?" asked the dentist.  
  
" Uh, no. I've got to sit for Jamie on that day. I mean, I have to sit for someone on that day." I replied, unsure of myself.  
  
"I see, what about on Wednesday, four, and the following week on Thursday, same time?" asked Dr Rivera, my dentist, with a smile.  
  
" That's fine." I replied. Wednesday was only three days from today!!! " What about the braces?"  
  
" Monday, four?" She asked  
  
" Okay."  
  
Oh, lord. Why was a born with such crooked, misaligned teeth? Now I have to wear braces. Darn.  
  
" So how was it, Mal?" asked my 10 year-old brother, Byron.  
  
"Yeah, when're you going to become metal mouth, Mal?" chimed in Adam and Jordan, my triplet brothers (Jordan, Adam and Byron), always teasing me about braces.  
  
" Wait 'til it's your turn." I retorted. 


	2. Extractions, horrid extractions

"Basically, I'll inject you, and when you feel numb.." Dr. Rivera's voice trailed off. It was four o' clock. It was Wednesday.  
  
I was going to pull out two of my precious te.  
  
" Ow!" I cried, as the needle slipped under my flesh.  
  
" Don't move, Mal, or I'll have to inject you again." Said Dr. Rivera. I stayed perfectly still.  
  
" Alright, Mal, now, can you go to the waiting room outside, read a book or something, and I'll call you back in about 15 minutes."  
  
Fifteen minutes later came real fast. " Mallory Pike? Please go to room 4 to see Dr. Rivera." said the receptionist.  
  
"Mal, you may want to close your eyes, it doesn't hurt, but lots of kids prefer to close their eyes." Said Dr Rivera " All you'll feel is some pressure. Then you'll hear a sound. It sounds as though you were running through mud, you know, that sound when you pull your feet up."  
  
" Uh-huh."  
  
"Here goes.done! One tooth out, and one to go!"  
  
As she showed me the tooth, I thought of Betsy Sobak. She almost, I said almost, tricked me into thinking she had sneezed her tooth out. And also of Vanessa, my little sister, when her tooth dropped out while eating candy. It was so bloody. Then I felt more pressure. She was at it again.  
  
" Okay Mal! All done. Here are your teeth." Said Dr Rivera, holding out a zip-lock bag with two teeth inside. " Don't forget, next Thursday."  
  
Done? That was real fast.It didn't hurt as much as I thought it would have. Well, it was time to rush to Claudia's for a BSC meeting.  
  
~end of part two~  
  
please R&R. 


	3. Daydreamer Mal

Braces. Those six letters seemed to glare at me with menacing eyes for the past two hours. I was in school. It was a typical Monday in a sense that it was not someone's birthday or a public holiday, or the last day of school or something like that. I t was not a typical Monday, in a sense that this afternoon at four, I was to become . . . a metal mouth!  
  
Not that I'm happy, it's that I've been worrying about things like if it hurt so much 'til I passed out or something, that I actually wanted it to come- as soon as possible and get it over with.  
  
"Mallory?" my teacher asked, without me hearing " MALLORY PIKE!"  
  
I jumped "Yes, Miss Smith?"  
  
"Ahem. The answer to question 12 please."  
  
I looked at my worksheet. "Uh . . . 13?" I asked, sounding more confident than I felt.  
  
" Mallory, that was the answer to question 11, not 12. Never mind. Jessica, please give us the answer." Said Ms. Smith, giving me the evil eye. " Mallory, see me during lunch."  
  
Jessi stood up and gave the answer, and after that, I stopped daydreaming.  
  
"Mallory, what has gotten in to you today? You used to be so attentive, so, contributing. Is there anything wrong?" asked Ms. Smith during lunch.  
  
"No, it's jus that I'm worrying about my getting braces this afternoon. I'm so sorry." I replied, rather shamefully.  
  
"Alright, excused, but I don't want to hear any more about this from your other subject teachers. Is that understood, Mallory? You may go now, if you wish."  
  
" Yes, Ms. Smith, I understand. Thank you."  
  
As soon as I got out of the class, I dashed towards the cafeteria. I saw Jessi at a table and hurried over to her. I took out my pack lunch and began to eat.  
  
"So, Mal. . ." asked Jessi, trying to start a conversation. " What happened today?"  
  
" Jessi, you know don't you, about this afternoon?" I asked, " I'm plain worried about it. That's all."  
  
"Oh."  
  
Nothing more was said after that.  
  
During the rest of the school day, I paid close attention to all that my teacher's said. At the end of the day, I packed my bag and walked out to catch the bus back home. 


	4. Braces on!

A/N: I'm not sure if they do this all the same at every dental clinic all over the world, but in Singapore, this is usually how it's done.  
  
"Mallory Pike? Into rm4 to see dr. Rivera." Called a nurse in Dr. Rivera's office.  
  
As mum and I walked into the room, I felt queasy and grabbed mum's hand. She squeezed my hand and smiled at me. She knew I was scared. She had told me many times of her own experience when she was my age, and how "painless" it had been. I didn't feel comforted. I just knew it was going to hurt - really bad.  
  
" Sit," said Dr. Rivera, as he fiddled with his equipment. "Okay, open your mouth," he instructed after I had sat and he had finished with his equipment. I obeyed. He began cleaning and polishing away, as if he was the ordinary dentist, which most people see every 6 months.  
  
To me, he was no ordinary dentist. One of his missions for that day was to make me a metal mouth.  
  
He interrupted my thoughts by saying, " You must be wondering why I'm cleaning your teeth," he began, "Well, that's because if I don't do this, you will have lots of tooth decay caused by the brackets over your teeth which prevents your toothbrush from brushing that area, and I'm sure none of us want that, do we?" he asked with a chuckle, "Now, rinse your mouth of all that mint stuff,"  
  
He instructed me to open my mouth as wide as I possibly could. I did, and he stuck a pair of ice-tong like features to "stretch my lips". He began selecting some strange rings, the diameter and the likeness of typical wedding rings, and attempting to fit them over various back teeth. He failed with some and had to re-select them.  
  
"You sure have many different sizes of teeth!" he exclaimed with a laugh as he slipped the last one on. He made me bite on this gadget so that it would go all the way in.  
  
When he pulled them all off I thought he had mis-fitted every single one of them! I asked in amazement as he took out the ice tongs,  
  
" Are you that bad at fitting those things on? You did each tooth like, five times!" Of course, I was exaggerating.  
  
After I had rinsed my mouth and allowed him to re-insert the ice tongs, he began gluing some strange cube-like things into my mouth using a certain kind of superglue after making absolutely sure that my mouth was totally dry.  
  
"How'd you expect something wet to stick onto something wet? It's like trying to stick two pieces of soggy paper together, and when they're dry, they fall apart, don't they?" He asked, logically, explaining the need to have an absolutely dry mouth.  
  
He then left me there for about 15 minutes with a selection of colours to choose for my braces. I chose clear, of course. That colour is purr-fectly invisible against my teeth!  
  
"Clear, Mal?" he asked when I pointed to clear on the palette, "I think pink would look quite nice on you, or blue, or green, or . . ."  
  
"Clear's fine, thank you," I said politely  
  
"Ok, then." He sighed, "Kid's nowadays are so conscious. Seems like everyone wants clear!"  
  
He fitted on a wire and began twisting and turning the wire. Well, it seemed like he was twisting, but in fact, he was just putting on the finishing touches - - the brackets.  
  
About two minutes later, which to me felt like eternity, he leaned back in his chair and smiled,  
  
"All done!" he gave me a mirror. I looked into it and smiled. Well, I have to admit, it made me look older, and it didn't look like the beastly, horrid things I'd thought they would be like. But boy, it did hurt!  
  
"Okay, Mallory, this is the kind of toothbrush you'll have to use for the next two years. It's specially designed with a groove so that you can clean your teeth properly." He said, showing me a toothbrush, and demonstrating on a model how to brush your teeth when you have braces on (I thought we learnt that when we were 4?).  
  
"And this," he continued, handing me a small box, "is to put on the rings if they give you ulcers. They'll smoothen them and make sure your mouth's ulcer-free!" He gabbled on and on about what food to eat, and what not, what to eat when you've just got braces, and all that kind of stuff. (You'll know what I mean if you have braces)  
  
"Okay then, you can go," said Dr. Rivera, holding the door open for mum and I to go out.  
  
While mum settled the bills, I began to wonder. What if no one in my entire grade has got braces? Would they laugh? Or what if everyone thought I looked strange, and stop being my friend? What if . . . What if . . .  
  
~End of chap 4~  
  
Hey people, thanks for all the reviews. Hope you enjoyed my story! Also, I'd like to ask if I should use my big bro's experience for when Mal's braces go off, or if I should use my own, which would mean updating 2 yrs from now. I think most would say option 1, but if anyone thinks this story is trash and that I shouldn't even continue, let me know, and I will take this story off. But, it's majority wins. Please tell me if: Option 1: You think my story's trash and ought to be deleted from this site, Option 2: You think you'd like to wait till my braces are off, because you know what a exaggerating brother my brother can be at some times, Option 3: I should use my brother's experience, because 2yrs is too long a wait!  
  
Please inform me via reviews by 07/07/03. The next chapter will be up soon, and the chapter after that should come around the 6th of July, because my first time for braces tightening is on the 5th. I sure hope no one says option 1! But if you honestly think opt.1, don't feel bad. Please be open and just type option 1. I want to know if you like my writing!  
  
Thank you and God bless! Oh, and please pray for all those nurses and doctors who are helping to fight Sars (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) all over the world, and also for all the countries and people affected by Sars. If you live in HK, Guangdong, Shanxi, Beijing, Toronto etc.etc., everyone's praying for you (I hope, well, I am, anyway!)!  
  
P.S: This is a revised version, so some who read my story earlier might find some changes here and there. 


	5. Braces are cool?

"Hi-hi!" cried Jamie Newton as he flung the door open on Monday evening. It was the evening after I had gotten my braces, and my mouth was already hurting like hell. I was thinking, I'm supposed to sit for two kids in this condition?  
  
"Hi, Jamie," I answered more cheerful than I actually was, "where's your mum and Lucy?"  
  
"Coming."  
  
"Hello, Mallory," said Mrs. Newton as she walked towards me with Lucy in her arms, "Ah, I see you've gotten braces! Wow, they make you look a lot older, like a teenager!"  
  
I scrunched up my face and protested, " Braces stinks, and they hurt!" I made a face at Lucy and said, "hello, Lucy-goosey!"  
  
Lucy smiled and laughed. Mrs. Newton invited me in and reminded me of the children's bedtimes.  
  
"Mr. Newton and I will be back at around 8.30," continued Mrs. Newton, "Well, good-bye, and be good, Lucy, Jamie."  
  
"Bye, mommy, and I'll be good," said Jamie as he fiddled through my Kid- kit (I'm sure u all know what that is.), pulling out a book. Mr. and Mrs. Newton left and I asked Jamie what he wanted to do.  
  
"Read this," he said, showing me a Paddington bear book, and settling down on the couch to read it.  
  
Later that night, after I'd put Lucy to bed, I once again asked Jamie what he wanted to do. He had already finished all the books in my kid-kit, so he said he said he just wanted to talk to me.  
  
"Mallory, what are those things in your mouth?"  
  
"Braces."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Braces."  
  
"What are those?"  
  
"Metal things the dentist puts in your mouth to make your teeth straight."  
  
"Can I get them too?" he asked, "I want straight teeth too."  
  
"Not now, maybe when you're 11 or 12, Jamie."  
  
"Oh, but they make you look nice. When you smile, it shines. Like the stars!" He said, " They make you look nice. They make you look older. I can't wait to get mine,"  
  
"Really, I don't think so. They hurt." I replied, " And it's your bedtime, young man," I said sternly as I glanced at the clock.  
  
Jamie groaned. "Can I stay up a little bit later, Mal? Please?"  
  
"No, but I'll read you a book."  
  
"Okay," Jamie said, fairly contented.  
  
I brought him to his room and after he had changed into his pajamas, I read him a book, and he fell asleep towards the end of the book.  
  
That night, as I put down my book and turned off my bedside lamp to sleep, I thought about what Jamie and Mrs. Newton had said about my braces.  
  
".They make you look nice."  
  
".They make you look older."  
  
".Like a teenager!"  
  
I fell asleep feeling that perhaps braces weren't that bad after all. Maybe they were cool, maybe they were an item some coveted. What ever they really were to kids my age, I would find out tomorrow.  
  
~END~  
  
I think this chapter isn't too well written, I was rushing through it cause at this very moment my bro (yes, the one who I might use as for when Mal's braces go off) wants to use the computer. Thanks for all the reviews!!! 


	6. Braces are cool? Not quite so cool

~Chapter six~  
  
A/N: This is a diary entry . . .I know, big change, but I thought it'd be easier to express Mallory's feelings this way. And I'm making up a date; so if it's wrong, don't remind me. If I happen to make the date on a public holiday or something, please excuse me because I'm not familiar with the American customs. Anyway, on to the story:  
  
May 9th  
  
Dear Diary,  
  
It's me, Mallory. Wait, it isn't Mallory. It's Metal Mouth Mallory. Yes, you've guessed it. That's my new name. Given to me by horrid Benny Ott because of my mouth full of metal, as he calls it, or more precisely, braces. Horrid braces.  
  
Now all I have to do is walk past someone, particularly a boy, and "Hi, Metal Mouth Mallory!" I will hear.  
  
I don't understand why I have such crooked teeth. Is it because in my past life I was an orthodontist, and God wanted me to get a taste of wearing braces? Nah.  
  
I hate boys. All they know how to do is to make fun of people, in particular girls, shoot rubber bands, spitballs and paper airplanes round the classroom. Actually, I dislike everyone in the school with the exception of the BSC.  
  
You know what? One of the only people in my grade who did not laugh or make fun of me was none other than Jessi Ramsey.  
  
I guess it's because she's a black and knows what it's like to be laughed at or made fun of. She says I look "cool" and "mature". Really? Well, that was somewhat like what Mrs. Newton and Jamie had said when I went to baby-sit for Jaime last night. So, err, what exactly are braces to the world?  
  
Well, one things for sure though, it's 10.00(A/N: If I remember correctly that's Mal's bedtime.), in other words, bedtime. I'll write more about the many torture Mallory days to come.  
  
Metal Mouth Mallory  
  
~End~  
  
All the reviews I've received so far make it quite clear I'll be using my brother's experience. However, the debate is still on, so keep the reviews with your views in it rolling in!  
  
In answer to some of your reviews . . .  
  
SUNNYEXISTENCE hopes that my braces don't hurt, but for one thing, they hurt like hell for the first week or two, and you get lots of ulcers!  
  
Jaded Rose, do you realize that when you put " . . ." without spacing, it comes out as "."? That's why 'te . . .' came out as " te.". Actually, I should have written: "I was going to pull out two of my precious te.  
  
" Ow!" I cried, as the needle slipped under my flesh, interrupting my thoughts."  
  
Option 3 rules said I could research on the removing of braces, but I don't quite think that's possible if you're thinking via internet, but perhaps it can be done via my orthodontist . . .  
  
Lots of reviewers asked me to keep writing, so I assure you I'll do that *grins*.  
  
Thanks for the reviews, good and bad! 


	7. The tightening!

"Hello, Mallory," greeted Dr. Rivera cheerfully, "Have you thought about what colour you're going to switch to?" "Hi, and no, I've decided to stick to clear." "That's boring. What about pink and clear?" "Nah." "Blue and clear?" suggested Dr. Rivera, " Green and clear?" "No!" "Okay, okay. Clear they will be, then." Replied Dr. Rivera with a sigh; gesturing towards the 'arm chair' I'd grown accustomed to, " Sit down." I sat- no, lay down in the chair and opened my mouth at her instruction. "Did you bring your toothbrush to school, Mallory?" she asked as she examined my teeth. "No," I replied slowly. "No wonder, look at all this plaque on your teeth!" she said, showing me some instrument with what seemed like chewed-up rice on it. "Ew," I said, scrunching up my face in pretended disgust. "Yes, disgusting, isn't it?" she asked, and without waiting for an answer, " If you keep this up, you'll have to wear braces for a longer period of time. Maybe 30 months instead of 24, or something like that." "Why?" I asked in alarm. "Well, the braces are unable to push the teeth back properly because the plaque is blocking it from doing so. Also, when you finally do take the braces out, you'll have little white squares on your teeth where the brackets used to be. The rest of the tooth will be yellow." "Yuck." "I've got to see a patient at 5.15, so I'll have to hurry this up, ' aid Dr. Rivera with a glance at her watch, " Open your mouth." I did so, and she started using some sort of pliers to pull out the top wire. After a couple of seconds of twisting, she finally extracted a semicircle-shaped wire from my mouth. She repeated the process with the bottom wire, and soon I could feel that there weren't any wires on my teeth. Soon she began using her weapon to twist and turn in mouth, I figure to pull out the top part of the bracket, the part that could be the colour of your choice. Once those were out, she began to attach new wires onto my teeth. The next thing I saw was Dr. Rivera and her nurse were playing 'Hot potatoes' with pliers. She used the pliers to 'apply' the bracket cover (or whatever it's called). She was twisting the wires, and before I knew it, she said that it was done.  
  
"Okay, Mallory, you're done." She said, rolling back to a table behind her to retrieve a folder, "I want you to bring a toothbrush to school everyday. If not, gargle vigorously at least 10 times."  
  
"If not," she continued, "I'll just have to get my assistant to call you everyday during lunch time to make sure you brush your teeth in school."  
  
I remained silent at the thought of Dr. Rivera's assistant calling the school office and them broadcasting, "Mallory Pike, kindly go to the toilet and brush your teeth." Or something like that. The boys would be in fits of laughter!!!  
  
"All right, all right, I'll bring my toothbrush to school. And, if I forget I'll gargle."  
  
"Good."  
  
"Bye' Dr. Rivera,"  
  
"Bye'"  
  
5.15!  
  
5.15! Yikes!  
  
"Mom! I'm going to be late!"  
  
"Okay, okay, just let me get my wallet out . . ."  
  
I shuffled my feet impatiently. By the time Mom was done, it was 5.20 already. We practically sped to Claudia's, and I just managed to get into Claudia's room when her digital clock flipped to 5.30. Kristy frowned at me, but called the meeting to order anyway. Phew! 


End file.
